Exclusive: What is known so far about the case investigating alleged human trafficking through surrogacy in Córdoba

In April of this year and from a Anonymous complaint that arrived at the Office of the Prosecutor for Trafficking and Exploitation of Persons (Protex), the federal prosecutor Enrique Senestrari opened a file and headed raids in two centers dedicated to assisted fertilization, located in Nueva Córdoba and the northwest of this capital.

The investigation aimed to dismantle a alleged human trafficking networkfocused on recruiting women in vulnerable situations to be used in surrogacy in exchange for a monetary payment.

Luana’s mother pointed to Claudio Vignetta for trying to silence the complaint: “The government is guilty”

“That is, offering to get pregnant with embryos from those who request that service in order to procreate a child that is not theirs but rather the child of those who hired them,” Senestrari said at the time in a conversation with the press.

The investigation was launched after receiving an anonymous complaint detailing the specific case of a couple who went to one of these clinics due to fertility problems. Apparently, these institutions They would have “offered” this possibility in a covert manner.

Family Court judges consulted by PERFIL CÓRDOBA admitted great concern about the situation.

At the beginning of July, The court charged nine people in relation to the case, including doctors, lawyers and employees of the two clinics specializing in assisted fertilization treatments.

Surrogacy: nine people charged with alleged trafficking of women

At that time, raids were again carried out with the authorization of the Federal Judge No. 2, Alejandro Sánchez Freyteswithin the framework of the charges they promoted Maria Alejandra Manganofrom the Office of the Prosecutor for Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Protex) and the Attorney General before the TOF2 of Córdoba, Carlos Gonellz, with the participation of Federal Prosecutor No. 1 Enrique Senestrari, where the file is currently filed.

The legal qualification for which the criminal action was requested is human trafficking with aggravating circumstances, due to the vulnerability and number of victims and by the number of people involved. It also included the figure of ideological falsehood.

The file is being handled with maximum secrecy, but as PERFIL CÓRDOBA was able to confirm, There are 14 identified victimsall with very vulnerable social contexts.

One of the cases involves a woman whose pregnancy caused her serious health problems. Despite this, she did not receive adequate follow-up. She was left to her own devices, with five children and in a precarious economic situation. The woman went to court to testify a month after giving birth.

At the end of last month, federal judge Alejandro Sánchez Freytes resolved a investigation schedule to all the accused which began on Tuesday, July 30 and will extend until next Friday, August 9th.

According to the suspicion of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF), the health centers were in contact with the victims through their “egg donations” -a practice that in many cases was the first means of recruitment-, or by having been recruited by other defendants; in many cases, taking advantage of their vulnerable situation.

Until now, the names of the clinics involved in these cases were not known precisely. In last Sunday’s edition, PERFIL CÓRDOBA obtained the exclusive testimony of A couple who had their baby through surrogacy and who was treated at one of the institutions accused. These are the clinics Fecundart y Nascentis.

Exclusive: Parents of a baby born through surrogacy speak out, whose case is being analyzed by the Federal Court

Among the measures requested by the prosecutors at the time of promoting the charges, were the arrests of several of the accused. This was not admitted by Judge Sánchez Freytes, so the MPF appealed the decision before the Federal Court of Appeals that will have to decide whether or not they go to prison.